Savvy marketers know that technology is the way to reach target audiences with the right information at the right time to drive purchases. But with so much technology available, how do they know which tech tools are worth investing in?

In a new report on finding the right place for emerging technologies in marketing, SmartBrief explores four tech categories that are not only trending today but show great potential to have a lasting effect on marketing. In each, we review how the technologies are reshaping marketing and contributing to the ultimate goal – delivering meaningful experiences that move customers along the purchasing cycle.

For example, voice search is becoming more popular not just because of smart speakers but also on mobile devices. One study estimates that more than 1 billion voice searches are conducted monthly. For marketers to take advantage of this trend, they need to shift from thinking about their campaigns as visual and screen-based to auditory and conversational as well.

“Storytelling in voice will be held to a higher standard,” Publicis Media’s Vanessa Evans said in GeoMarketing.

However, not every technology is an ideal fit for every brand. To know which investments are worth making, marketing leaders should consider four best practices reviewed in the report: